Book Marketing Now: Get Your Book Seen and Sold
CLAUDINE WOLK, writer and host behind the podcast/newsletter and how-to guide GET YOUR BOOK SEEN AND SOLD, talks about her book as a tool for writers; blog tours; hybrid publishing; and goals
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Welcome back to Book Marketing Now, a feature of Books, Marketing, & More, spotlighting writers releasing books into the current market + the inside scoop on marketing and publishing. Other past interviews and insights here!
At the heart of any good marketing campaign, is cross-promotion. Claudine Wolk, the writer and podcaster behind
reached out to me last year to chat about book events, publicity, and working within the publishing engine. I had such a good time, and found Claudine to be so warm, informed, and approachable in her take on book marketing, that I knew I had to feature her when her book came out.Get Your Book Seen and Sold is an accessible, how-to guide for authors at the beginning of their publishing journey that breaks down the important (and most affordable!) steps to get your book in front of readers. Here,
breaks down the how and why behind her writing and publishing her book; how she began marketing more than a year before it’s release; the power of blog tours; and the beauty of collaborative writing and publishing.
Your newsletter/podcast has a rich archive of marketing tips, interviews, and resources for authors. What made you decide to turn it into a book? In what ways have your newsletter and book been marketing tools for each other?
Hey thanks, Allison. Ahhh the chicken and egg theory… which came first, the book or the newsletter/podcast? In my case, the book came first and in anticipation of the book – a year in advance – I started the newsletter / podcast.
Here is what happened: I was a co-host on a local radio talk show. I interviewed many local authors and after the broadcast, they would ask me for ideas on how to promote their book. What I realized was that many authors found out AFTER their book published that they could have done many things BEFORE they published to help market and promote their books. It made me sad to think that these authors missed out on ways to promote their books, so I decided to write a book that would cover the fundamentals of book marketing and publishing. The hope is that beginning and aspiring authors would understand and take advantage of ALL their book marketing options. I also made the book short, fun, and full of exercises and examples to get authors motivated to dive into book promotion without feeling overwhelmed.
In order to promote the new book, I used my own advice and started a book marketing podcast/newsletter so that when my book launched, I would already have an audience for it.
Book marketing for a marketing book sounds like it has additional challenges! How did you initially envision marketing your book? How has that strategy changed now that you’re marketing directly to readers?
LOL. Yes, any niche, how-to book certainly has its challenges when it comes to book marketing. One good thing about a niche book is that the target audience for the book should be pretty well-defined. In my case, the book’s target audience is authors but specifically, aspiring authors or new authors. Even more specifically, writers who want to publish their first book. The podcast and newsletter were the first part of my book marketing plan – to reach beginner authors – and what better place than Substack where beginner writers gather! I also planned and launched a Blog Tour with Women on Writing (WOW) – they told me that they had the most sign-ups for Get Your Book Seen and Sold to be reviewed, excerpted, or an interview with me. No surprise there, right? WOW’s audience is beginner writers who want to publish and promote a book!
Now that the book has launched and I promote directly to readers, our focus is to continue create content on the podcast/newsletter (episodes with book marketing experts and authors), guest appearances on OTHER podcasts whose audience matches our target audience, local speaking gigs, Zoom appearances on writing workshops, and special sales pitches to universities, writing organizations, and corporations.
How did you and your co-author tackle the writing and marketing of this book together?
Great question. Julie and I had worked on several book projects over the years. Everything from editing to book marketing to promotion to content creation. We had chatted about writing this resource for beginner authors for years. When we decided to start, we agreed that I would write it out – I had a vision for a pithy, fun, workbook-type resource for new authors– and she would edit, correct all that I got wrong on the publishing and distribution side of things, and would create the interior design. Bottom line: we focused our individual strengths to create the vision.
On the marketing side: We came up with a marketing plan well in advance of the launch and talked through which options were in line with our agreed budget. I wrote up our media kit items: press release, sell sheet, book one page, author bio, interview questions and Julie added her thoughts, edited and designed them. I researched media contacts to pitch and Julie edited the pitches. Bottom line: we worked to our strengths. Plus, it was great to chat through and create together.
What have you found to be the most fruitful part of being independently/hybrid published? The most challenging? Any resources you recommend for engaging with this process?
I am so lucky because my co-author is a hybrid publisher in her own right and owns Lost Valley Press. I already trust Julie and we came up with an agreement to share ownership of the book and the earnings as well as costs. My biggest piece of advice for anyone working with a hybrid publisher is to examine (or have a lawyer examine) your contract. You want to make sure that you own the book at the end of the process and to make sure that your royalty percentage, if not 100%, at least is worthwhile for you and your new business. Plus, make sure that there are no additional hidden costs to you. In addition to Lost Valley Press as a reputable hybrid publisher, I have also heard some good things about Amplify Publishing.
What advice would you give to writers just starting out when it comes to marketing themselves?
Oh, this is my favorite question. When it comes to marketing yourself… focus on the things you already like to do and enhance the channel. If you love taking pictures, tell your story on Instagram or Pinterest. If you love to write, create a substack newsletter, write essays, submit to magazines and websites. If you love video, start a You Tube channel. If you love to speak… book some speaking gigs, start a podcast, offer to speak at workshops. Enhance what you already doing and that you like and focus on building an audience on that channel.
When it comes to marketing your book, first, identify your goal in writing your book. Do you want a resource for your professional life, a keepsake for family, or do you want to create a trade book. If the answer is trade book, do the research and learn your publishing and marketing options. Get Your Book Seen and Sold is a great overall resource that will illustrate the business and the process but there are plenty of ways to get this information on google searches, you tube videos, and other books. Once you have an idea of the overall goal of your book, identify your book’s message, audience and hook. Then create a plan using a timeline – pre-publication tasks, launch tasks, after publication tasks. Work your plan and adjust when you see what is working. Book marketing is a flexible process!
Finally, do you have a tea recommendation (or other beverage of your choice) that has helped you get through the marketing/publishing process?
I LOVE tea… especially strong, black tea. My favorite is Barry’s Irish Tea!
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Follow Claudine Wolk:
Linktr.ee| Website | Substack | BookBub
To order Get Your Book Seen and Sold:
Lost Valley Press | Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble
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Claudine Wolk is an author, podcast host and book marketing coach. Her books, podcast, and essays provide fun, easy-to-understand information and entertainment for readers and listeners. Her latest book for writers, Get Your Book Seen And Sold, is co-authored with Julie Murkette and helps authors who wish to publish and market their books. Her first book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, has affectionately become “the perfect baby shower gift.” She resides in Bucks County, PA, with her husband, Joe. They share three children and two grandchildren.You can find her writing at her substack account,
.Support Claudine Wolk and other authors out there decoding the publishing process, by following, reposting, sharing, reviewing, requesting, and/or reading their books (and buying when you can)!
Happy reading & writing!
~Allison
Writer & Marketing Coach
Keep Writing, Keep Connecting! Facebook | Newsletter | Website | BlueSky | Mastadon
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Allison Pottern Hoch has happily made books her life’s work. She spent four years marketing and publicizing academic titles at The MIT Press before she went to work for Wellesley Books as a children’s bookseller and event coordinator. She is now living her dream: putting her B.A. in Creative Writing to good use as a novelist and as a writing/marketing coach for authors. She is also a graduate of the 2023 Viable Paradise workshop. She enjoys science fiction, chocolate, and a hot cup of tea.